Telecommunications systems typically employ a network of telecommunications cables capable of transmitting data and voice signals over relatively long distances. The telecommunications cables can include fiber optic cables, electrical cables, or combinations of electrical and fiber optic cables.
A typical telecommunications network also includes telecommunications enclosures integrated throughout the network. The telecommunications enclosures are adapted to house and protect telecommunications components such as splices, termination panels, power splitters, and wavelength division multiplexers. It is often preferred for the telecommunications enclosures to be re-enterable. The term “re-enterable” means that the telecommunications enclosures can be re-opened to allow access to the telecommunications components housed therein without requiring the removal and destruction of the telecommunications enclosures.
Telecommunications enclosures are typically sealed to inhibit the intrusion of moisture or other contaminants. Pressurized gel-type seals have been used to effectively seal the locations where telecommunications cables enter and exit telecommunications enclosures. Example pressurized gel-type seals are disclosed by document EP 0442941B1 and document EP 0587616 B1, the disclosures of which are hereby incorporated herein by reference. Both of these documents disclose gel-type cable seals that are pressurized through the use of threaded actuators. While pressurized cable seals have generally proven to be effective, improvements in this area are still needed.